Story:Kings of Strife/Part 39
Part Thirty-Nine The town of Rigor was just as Vainia remembered it: small, crippled, and populated by wide-eyed fools. Even so, when her airship finally landed off the coast of the town of rigid bones, she couldn’t help but see it as a haven and the sanctuary for her flagship. Once the airship was safely out of harm’s way, her men had devolved into little more than shattered and fearful servants to her name. The retreat had been treacherous and riddled with danger. In order to outpace the Inusian pursuers, the soldiers on the Typhoon Wind had to throw overboard most of their munitions. Still they weren’t fast enough to escape unscathed, but before long the ship had entered Mortisian waters. The Inusian airships drew back, but made it clear that they would not move. Returning to Shorica that way anytime soon would be impossible. In order to escape immediate detection, Vainia had the ship slowly lose altitude until it barely coasted over the sea. When it was past the rough waters of the mid-coast and was safely in the safe zone of Mortis’ part in the Queen’s Gulf, she had it start to float and use its devices to sail as a ship. Her men were exhausted, bitter, and disappointed. She could hear it in them, but most of all she could feel it. When she walked by, they cut their eyes at her and mumbled. Cries of “For the Queen’s glory” had lost most of its fervor. The wounded ones wrapped bandages around their injuries or cut their cloaks apart to use as tourniquets. Moans and cries echoed throughout the airship’s deck from the intensively hurt ones kept in the cabins below. Her Eternal Corps members were better when it came to keeping their morale up, but she could see frustration on Azor Atrai’s heavy lined face and Tlerius continued to look towards the horizon with concern. He hated that she had left behind all of her men, including the other Eternal Corps members. She knew this would breed no love for her in him, but that was fine. She needed his blade, not his love. Her soldiers were beginning to resent her for her actions, much like she resented herself. Vainia considered this and found it irrelevant. Their love would return, or it wouldn’t, but they would still serve her. They feared her. She alone had rose out of Phenicks unscathed, and she had taken Shorekeep within days. She had power, and Vainia knew power kept a man’s eyes forward and his knee bent. Only Tasshon seemed to still have support for her. He stuck behind her like a tall shadow, making sure to wear his imposing red cloak and stay near her at all times. Did he fear for what the soldiers could do? It came to her that while he had seen her fight in the battle, he knew not of her rune powers, nor of her true fury. None of them did. Still, Tasshon was being protective and supportive. She needed that now. His strength reminded her of Taoris. That concerned her. He walked right behind her as the airship moved slowly towards the shore of Rigor. Two small skiffs sliced through the water with two tall men with spears in their hands. They held them to the tall airship and commanded to know from where it came. Vainia walked right to the apex of the ship, Tasshon and his crimson cloak flowing behind him. “Move apart and let us pass,” she replied. “Who are you?” The man with a horned helmet on the closest skiff lowered his sword and looked up to Vainia. His wide eyes squinted, and he spoke with a heavy Mortisian accent. Although she was irritated, Vainia’s chest swelled. ‘It’s been so long since I heard another Mortisian speak.’ The sharpness of the ‘R’s, how quick the words rolled off the tongue… How glorious. “I am your future Queen. Nolstuvainia Sestrum, first of her name. Daughter of King Mateulikus and Queen Varinamious.” She shrugged off her red cape and removed the tie holding her hair in a ponytail. After a moment of brushing her hair with her hand, Vainia let it fall on her back and pushed it off her face. “Do you not recognize me?” The soldier squinted at Vainia and tilted his head. He obviously didn’t believe her, but if she was right… “Prove it.” The princess sighed and ran her hand through her long, frizzy brown hair. “Nachtiubre…” She muttered to herself. At her side still, Tasshon picked up her fallen cloak and folded it up into a square. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held a hand out. Behind the two, silver cloaks and normal Shorican men both came up to the front of the ship, their duties temporarily forgotten. “Yojn vei Nolstuvainia Sestrum Sonario, gehenn skor-alt-rako, demaurutii, ruri ahn tuumis alt kreius, Valtiuv avn Kvanriel, gew Visael Sonario. Conryel an frietuvre.” Vainia spoke in a heavy, foreign tongue. The words flowed from inside her throat, harsh and powerful yet full of grace and passion. The language of her ancestors returned her energy back to her, and when she had finished speaking, a dark and vicious mood was upon her. All of the Mortisian men lowered their spears as she talked. They all recognized Refined High Mortisian. The squinting soldier bent his knee first, and the others followed him. “Only members of the royal family speak Refined High,” he said with reverence once he bowed his head, “And only the fierce Princess Vainia would proclaim her name and condemn me as an eater of shit. Hreatho! We will guide you to Grainis!” Vainia nodded. “Thank you, sir. Rise, and hreatho.” The Mortisian men rose to do her bidding, and Vainia turned to her own soldiers. She glared at them all staring. “Well? Start moving us towards them. We should be in Grainis soon. We’ll be safe there.” All of the men scrambled at her command, some fire and passion restored to their bodies. Tasshon and Tlerius stood near her, still. The sole Baron handed her the discarded red cloak, but Vainia held out a hand to refuse it. “I won’t wear any colors until we get to the palace.” “What language was that, Lady Vainia?” Tlerius was a hardened man and his black beard lay on a square Shorican jaw, almost as bristled as the fur on the collar of his cloak. He likely had been in no countries besides Shorica and Inusia. “As the soldier said. Refined High Mortisian. I told him: ‘I am Nolstuvainia Sestrum I, holder of blessings and curses, destiny defier, heir to the throne and the world, Queen and Empire, descended from Morning Star King Visael I.’” She smiled with a sliver of dark humor. “Then I called him an eater of shit.” Despite himself, Tasshon gave a robust laugh, and Tlerius looked down with a smile. The leader of the Eternal Corps looked back up as his smile soon vanished. “We did not know you were… the princess of Mortis.” Vainia waved his concern off. “It matters not. I am your queen nonetheless.” “It explains a lot, doesn’t it?” Tasshon contributed. “The wordiness. The posture.” Tlerius nodded. “I suppose. I was wondering how such a young girl had knowledge of so much in the world…” The two men continued to talk behind her, but Vainia quickly tuned them out. On the nearby shore, she saw all of Rigor pass by before they left it behind to travel to Grainis, the capital city. From here she could smell the familiar scents of a Mortisian city. The mediocre sewer system, the overcrowded streets, the untended and crumbling buildings, piss and ale and fuel near the docks and the airship factories. These cities had a pungent and distinctive odor very much unlike the unifrom, strong, organized steel smell of Inusian metropolices and the salty yet warm and clean air of Shorican cities. Mortis was different. Mortis was ruined. Idly, she wondered how the people of Mortis would react to her return. It would be embarrassing to come back home for the first time with her tail between her legs, considering her return before Shorekeep’s fall was kept mostly a secret. As with the soldiers escorting the Typhoon Wind, most of the smallfolk and military would see her return as a joyous occasion. After all, she had left the country four years ago by now, in the dead of night and without word to anyone. What she didn’t have to imagine was the reaction of her parents. They knew she wasn’t dead, and they would not be pleased by her return. Especially not after she had attacked Inusia not once but twice. Inusia – their allies in the World Government. ‘That’s right. They are allied with Inusia.’ To say her parents the King and Queen were controlled by Inusia would be more accurate than to say they were allied with the nation. Either way, they would not respond positively to her arrival. Vainia could feel her mood dropping exponentially. ‘In fact, they were conspiring directly against me.’ The World Government planned for her to be assassinated and directly caused the massacre of Zeta Academy students. She couldn’t forget that. Her ship and its escorts arrived at the wide docks of Grainis within the hour. Just as she predicted, the streets were packed with citizens who were anticipating her arrival. ‘Word travels fast, and joyous word outpaces the wind.’ If only it could have been as joyous for her as it was for the peasants. The six escort soldiers provided a ladder and raised their spears high in the air for those aboard the Typhoon Wind to unboard onto the dock. The princess stepped out first, followed by her Baron of War and the two presiding Eternal Corps members, then her soldiers in a long, single-file line. Once they all left the ship, the six Mortisian soldiers walked in front of her, spears pointed to the mass of people around them. All of the people screamed and fell to their knees once they saw her. “Princess Vainia! The heavens have brought you back to us!” one man said. Another woman with a child on her breast held the child forward, not even caring that her sagging bosom was free. “Kiss him! Bless him! He will fight in your army when he is of age!” Those few peasants wealthy enough to own a Datalog or a phone took pictures of her as she walked. Cheers, screams, and proclamations of eternal loyalty exploded through the path away from the dock, and continued even when they arrived in the streets. People flooded out of their homes and stuck their heads out of windows. “Princess Vainia!” “Valtiuv Vainia!” Soon the cries of joy and adoration became a chant matching the rhythm of her steps towards the tall, faded golden palace of Grainis. Vainia did not look a single citizen in the eye, nor did she smile at the attention. Right now, she did not deserve their love or their glory. ‘I have failed them. I have sent men to their death and would send them to their deaths as well, if it meant my goals would be achieved. Why do they love me? Why do they praise me?’ She knew these were just idle doubts, considering her entire goal was to create a world where Mortisians weren’t crushed beneath priviledged fools like the Inusians. And she knew they loved her because of this goal, because of her talents and her demeanor and the fact that she was not a fool like her father. They praised her because of her power, and her mental acuity and her disdain for suffering. Even knowing all this, she felt relief when the tall golden gates of the castle came into view in the street. She was glad when the noise of the townspeople became mere background noise inside of the gates. She was happy to be returning to her home at the palace with all of her men behind her, even though she knew what lied ahead was not something she would enjoy. The herald of the foyer and a small group of four Mortisian knights met the group as soon as they entered the tall palace doors, and behind them stood what looked like the entire maid and butler staff of the palace. Every single one of them stood on the rails or behind the two large spiraling stairs in the back of the foyer, eagerly watching for a sight of Vainia. She frowned as she entered and looked up at them all. This wasn’t her most glorious moment. Dreeves, the herald of the foyer, walked up to her with his head bowed low as soon as she entered. He was only slightly fatter than he was when she saw him last a few weeks ago, and his beard was much fuller and lighter. “Lady Nolstuvainia, it excites us all to see that you have returned safely to us. While you and your group are surely tired, it pains me to…” Vainia interrupted him. “My group? Dreeves, these men and women are vassals of my kingdom in Shorica, and thus are citizens and loyal soldiers of Mortis. They are your group, as well.” Dreeves bent lower and refused to look up at Vainia. “Ah, yes, of course, Your Highness. Ah, regardless… The King and Queen request your presence, immediately, if you please.” She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. This was expected, but not wanted. “I don’t please, but I don’t really have a choice.” Vainia looked back to Tlerius and nodded towards the stairs of the foyer. “Take all the men and get them settled. I want every wounded man to be seen by nurses, and every living soldier to see a warm bath and a hot plate of food.” The fur-collared Eternal Corps leader nodded with a hungry grin. “For the Queen’s glory!” He walked away briskly afterwards, and with a gesture of his hand, the entire line of crew from the of crew from the Typhoon Wind followed him. Vainia stood in place as they left, their chatter and expressions drawing the attention of the palace staff, and she watched every soldier leave in turn. She made sure to take note of their faces and appearance. ‘A queen must know her subjects.’ Tasshon stood beside her still, when the last of the soldiers had disappeared into the palace. Vainia looked back at him. “Do you think yourself exempt?” Her Baron of War held fast and looked straight forward. “I will have my bath and food later tonight. For now, my duty is to attend to your side, since Knight Veit is not here with us.” Vainia was satisfied with this after a moment, and started to walk down the middle of the foyer, beneath the two tall golden staircases. Tasshon walked behind her, and Dreeves struggled to keep up with her determined stride. “For the Queen’s glory?” He asked breathlessly. “A rousing battlecry, to be sure, Your Highness, but you are still the princess…” “Here, perhaps. But I am the Queen of the rest of the world,” she retorted. Dreeves nodded at this hesitantly, and only continued to guide her to the main throne room. “And princess means I will be the Queen here, so my men aren’t wrong. Just… early.” Dreeves said nothing, at first. “We are almost there, my lady.” The two of them passed through the castle with all eyes on Vainia. She ignored them and looked out of the windows of the colossal place as they walked. As usual, the wide fields and courtyards around the castle were barren, with only fake foliage adorning the dead yellow grasses. Beyond the tall castle gates rose the city of Grainis, two times the capital of Mortis. The first was when Morning Star King Visael I set down his sword in the dirt and proclaimed his throne be set there; the second was when King Vist IX, the Returner, stole the throne from War Goddess Visterya III and returned the capital to Grainis from Visterya’s chosen seat in Queenstar. Over the years since, Grainis only grew and grew in population while Queenstar maintained a steady and wealthy populace; Grainis was the city to suffer from it. Bright sunlight yielded in obnoxiously in the tall windows outside the throne room. The hallway was paved in golden stone and a red carpet led the way to the massive door leading to the chamber of the Ruling King and Queen. Vainia stood in front of it and its guards, and Dreeves stepped back. “I must leave you now, my lady. There are other tasks I must attend to,” the aging old herald said to her with a bow. She nodded at him, and as the man walked away, she snapped at the guards to open the doors. Creaking wood moaned as the doors opened, and inside the room were her parents. Vainia stepped inside with an irritated frown. King Mateulikus IV looked down at his daughter with his arms crossed. “It’s so nice of you to finally join us, Princess.” He flared his nostrils and pushed his tongue through the side of his mouth. “How long has it been since you’ve stepped there, with that look on your face? Years, I believe.” “Such a long time, and so little has changed,” muttered Queen Varinamious. “Although your legs have gotten a bit fatter.” “Father. Mother.” Vainia took a deep breath and crossed her arms in a mirror image of her father. “Since I was summoned with such urgency, I’d assumed you both had missed me terribly… But apparently I was mistaken in believing that.” “Nonsense!” The queen swept her hand about grandly. “We simply believed it was your preference to be urgent with your business. After all, you wasted no time in laying siege to Shorica. Or having Zeta Academy destroyed. Or attacking Inusia not once… but twice.” She looked at her daughter out of the corner of her eye. The queen’s face was beautiful manicured with makeup and color so that not a single wrinkle appeared on her long face. She had such long, well-taken-care-of hair to go along with her ageless face that it was no wonder that she was nicknamed by citizens as the Dream Queen. The king, on the other hand, was known as Mateulikus the Fool, Mateulikus the Spineless, the Failed King. Vainia pursed her lips and made tense eye contact with her mother. That confirmed it – they knew. About everything. Despite how backed into a corner she was, anger began to boil up into Vainia’s breast. “If I’m not mistaken, the attack on Zeta was organized by assassins who wanted to kill me. They were from the World Government. That means you two had a hand in the attempts at my life.” Her mother looked at her with surprise at this, and her brow hardened. But the king’s face twisted in confusion the most. “What are you talking about, child? You don’t know anything about the World Government!” “I know everything about it! The whole damn world knows about how Mortis bows down to Inusia and licks the feet of the rest of the world. The World Government is their ways of beating us into submission so much that we’re fooled into subjugating ourselves!” “Hush, child,” the queen said with a shake of her head. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, making it clear that this topic was bringing pain to her. “I am not a child,” Vainia said slowly. Not even five minutes returned in the castle, and she was already wondering when she would be leaving it again. “I had hoped that you two, of all people, would see that I am doing everything for Mortis. All of it, for the advancement of our people.” “What’s wrong with the people now?!” The king banged his hands violently on the arms of his throne and glared down at his daughter. “We’ve talked about this before. The people of Mortis are fine. They are in no danger. They live. Our economy is sufficient.” “Sufficient? Father, there are people starving and dying on the streets! Do you know what I saw in Inusia? Do you know how many people wasted their money and their food? There were people there who were overweight. They had too much food. When was the last time someone had too much food here, Father?” “Silence!” The king’s booming voice echoed throughout the throne room, and his frustration was as visible as the sweat beading on his forehead. “I will not be influenced on this. Not by you, or anyone else! There must always be a king. Not everyone can be that king. We must learn to live with what we have, Nolstuvainia. Your actions are endangering our people more than our economy is.” Much like her father, Vainia blew air out of her nose, and like her mother she stayed silent. There really was no convincing her father on these issues; she had tried, unsuccessfully, for years. But now she knew he was wrong. She remembered the dazzling architecture of Zeta, the bountiful harbors of Shorekeep, the tall skyscrapers and immaculate citizens of Empiria, and the hearty rebels of Phenicks. There must always be a king; in this, her father was right. That was why she had to make Mortis the king. “We really are pleased to have you returned to us voluntarily and alive,” the queen said, with particular emphasis on ‘alive’. Her tone was measured and her diction spotless; she was very educated and very rehearsed in the mannerisms of high court. In other words, she was the complete opposite of her husband. “And we do have further business with you besides a welcome.” Vainia looked up expectedly. The king, realizing where this was headed, smiled. “Yes,” the queen continued, “It really has been some time since you left. Honestly, dear, it was unexpected and out of nowhere: it created a power vacuum. You wouldn’t believe how many houses visited Grainis and paid their tributes in ‘mourning’ for the ‘lost princess’! And immediately after they claimed sympathy for our loss, they proposed… heirs.” The color began to drain from Vainia’s face. Still the queen spoke, with her eyes on her nails. “After all, you have no siblings, and the realm cannot be safe without an heir to the throne. The selection process was long and grueling, but eventually…” “What are you saying, Mother?!” Vainia interrupted. She was breathless and had wide eyes. ‘This can’t be happening,’ she thought to herself, over and over again. ‘Things can’t get any worse than this.’ “You up and left, so we found a new heir to the throne. Yes, I’m sure you’ll like Prince Magnus.” The king stood and looked down from his throne with a smile. “Let him in, guards.” Behind Vainia the wall wooden doors opened, and Dreeves the herald announced the arrival of ‘Prince Magnus Lee’, and in walked the youth to the room. Vainia stood in place, looking down at the ground in front of her. Even as the tall prince walked in trailing a white cape behind him, she could not look up at him. She could not move, save for trembling with rage. Magnus Lee. She knew that name, from a distant childhood memory lost to her now, and she knew that family. The Lees were one of the richer families in Mortis, mostly because they owned various offshore naval industry operations. They were also infamous for allegedly never paying their taxes, and for bribing any government official who would stand against them and their prosperity. The heir to such a family was the new Prince? Her parents did this to her? It made sense, now, why the people were so eager and surprised to see her. The entire country must have known about the new Prince, and her sudden arrival must have shocked them all; the many Mortisians who hadn’t seen her Empirian broadcast, of course. This was unacceptable. It was unfathomable. Not two weeks ago, Vainia stood in the center of Empiria – in the center of Inusia ¬– and proclaimed that the world would be hers. Now, she wasn’t even going to gain control of her own home country? No. No, Vainia would not let this happen. She looked up with fury at her father. “I’m here now, and I’m alive. The throne is mine by right.” King Mateulikus frowned now. “How long will you be staying here in Grainis? Are you hiding here after your loss, or are you staying here?” “…I won’t be staying here. Not until my campaign is finished.” Not ever, Vainia wanted to say, but that wouldn’t help her situation right now in the slightest. “Then Prince Magnus will continue to hold the spot above you for heir to the throne! It is settled!” The king gave a hearty laugh and sat back down in his throne. “What’s more, you won’t receive anymore Mortisian support for your foolish efforts. Think I forgot about you stealing our ships for your attack on Shorekeep, did you? Well we didn’t. Next time you want to attack the country that aids us, you’ll have to find your own troops.” There was so much she wanted to say in response to this – but Vainia abstained. She bit her lip and tightened her hands into painful fists, but said nothing. She almost trembled with the anger she had inside, but she knew now was not the time to let it out. Her father would see. The entire world would see. New Prince Magnus turned and looked at Vainia with a sympathetic smile. “It is unfortunate that we had to meet again in these circumstances, Princess… But we should be introduced formally. My name is Magnus Amam Lee, Prince of Mortis,” said Magnus. He walked towards Vainia and leaned down to his knees with his hand extended, to hold and kiss her own. He was a handsome man, young and with blonde hair that carelessly wrapped around his face. She looked up at him with disgust and kept her hands curled into fists. “Can you even speak High Mortisian?” The new prince smiled candidly and drew his hand back slightly. “My lessons have not advanced to that level, just yet.” Vainia said nothing else. She turned with her shoes clicking loudly on the ground, and furiously walked out of the throne room. Tasshon, who had been waiting right outside the door for her, followed with lesser stride. “My Queen…” “I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. “Apparently I don’t fit that title anymore.” Her Baron of War hesitated. “Don’t say that, Lady Vainia. It is as you said to the herald… You are Queen of the world. Your time on the throne will come.” Tasshon spoke quietly and without much passion, as usual, but his devotion was clear. ‘What have I done to earn such devotion?’ Vainia wondered. ‘I kidnapped him. I was the cause of his peers being massacred. I forced him to work for me. Why does he fight so strongly for me?’ She dared not ask him; a third disappointment this day would likely dampen her spirits heavily. They walked towards her room, or at least where she remembered it to be. She always loved sleeping in the towers, and her personal room was in the tower farthest from the throne room – and by extension, her parent’s chambers. The Tower of Isolation, it was called. She would make sure it was renamed the Tower of the Queen. The two of them were steps away from the tower, guarded as it was by two Mortisian soldiers, when a maid ran out of its doors. “Lady Vainia! It really is you!” A blur of navy blue and white ran out and right into Vainia’s arms. The maid was fast, fast enough to take Tasshon by surprise, and before an instant passed she had her head buried in Vainia’s breast. “I missed you so! They all said you died! I told them it wasn’t true, oh I told them, but… but…” The princess looked down at the woman holding on to her with unfamiliar confusion, but once she got a good glance at her, Vainia’s face lit up. “Asearya? Is that you?” She smiled for the first time in hours. “Yes, of course it is! I told them I would never leave your side, I told them!” The maid looked up at her princess and smiled widely in response. She had grey eyes and short-cut white hair. After a moment she noticed Tasshon standing behind Vainia and shrunk back into her princess’ breast. “Who is that? He is… tall.” Vainia laughed and looked back at her Baron. “That is Baron Tasshon el Divrus. He is as loyal to me as you are, and his strength is formidable. Treat him as your brother, if you would. And Tasshon, this is Asearya Jyukyu, She has been my personal maid and bodyguard since we were both children.” Tasshon frowned and looked down at the dainty-looking maid. “Bodyguard?” He blinked, and Asearya was there in front of him. She had a knife in her hand and had it aimed right for his throat. Tasshon dared not move. “Yes, her bodyguard,” the maid growled. “You may be formidable, but I am unparalleled.” Vainia chuckled, but the humor left her face once again as she remembered her circumstances. “Let us not boast about what we do not know. Inside, you two. I wish to retreat to my room.” The princess rubbed her temples with both hands. A migraine was on its way, Vainia predicted as she yawned. The sleep she had achieved before the Icarun attack was spotty at best, and now it was catching up to her. Asearya Jyukyu turned back to Vainia and bit her lip. “Ah, about that, Lady Vainia… I have a message for you. Lady Nolterya requests your presence, at once.” Vainia’s head turned with incredible speed. “Grandmother? She wants to see me?” Known as the Savage Queen, the mother of King Mateulikus was a hard and isolated woman who rarely ever saw visitors. She had always been that way after her father was given the throne some thirty years ago. The rare occasions Vainia saw former queen Nolterya were treasures; she idolized the woman. “Yes,” Asearya confirmed. “Her last public request was about a month ago, stating that the only person she would allow in her chambers was you. Most didn’t take her seriously, because they thought…” She took a deep breath. “Well, she wanted to see you, urgently. There is a feast planned for tonight, but I think it would honor her if you visited her first.” Comprehension was painted on Vainia’s face as she nodded. “Very well, then.” She started to walk back towards the castle and paused when both Asearya and Tasshon moved to follow her. “I will visit her alone, preferably. This is your chance to rest, Tasshon, and your chance to gather my clothes for the feast, Asearya.” Her two guardians looked at each other and nodded reluctantly before heading inside the Tower of Isolation. Vainia wasted no time in walking back to the castle’s main building. She remembered the layout of the place like it was the back of her hand. Every inch of the Grainis Palace had been seen by her before she was an adolescent, and she knew where every library and hiding place was. The only person who could find her was Asearya, when she wanted her to. Not much of the castle had changed in her long absence, Vainia noted, save for the Savage Queen’s chambers. It was dark inside the large fortress-like addition to the very back of the palace. There were very few guards, but each one nodded at her when she walked by them. The Savage Queen only allowed guards around her that she approved, and most of them were those who loved Vainia, as well. Vainia and her grandmother were very much alike. She opened the impressive doors to the former queen’s chambers herself, and walked through the last hallway before her grandmother’s room. There were no guards here, nor any sunlight. The walls were made of hard, dark brick, and there no windows laid into the bricks. There was only silence here, and isolation, and regrets. The former queen sat on a faded black throne. She had it installed in her room when Vainia’s father forced his mother to give him his inheritance, and she usually did not leave it. There was a bed in the wide room, as well as multiple paintings of previous rulers, but unlike the rest of the palace there were no golden furnishings and no windows. “I have been expecting you, child,” croaked old Savage Nolterya with a toothless smile. “It’s about time you returned to me.” “Grandmother.” Vainia said with reverence as she bent her knee and lowered her head. “It is an honor to see you again.” Nolterya laughed. “Stand, child. One queen does not bow to another, although your fool of a father loves nothing more than to take a throne from a queen.” Vainia looked up and stood slowly. “So you know of the new prince.” “Of course I know about that rich bastard! I know much more than you would think, even if I am in this dark old hole all day.” Her grandmother’s face returned to its natural scowl and she laid her face on her wrinkled, vein-decorated fist. “I don’t approve of it, nor Chancellor Liteus, or anyone else sensible. But your mother wanted it, and once she starts whispering in your father’s ear he can’t resist it.” She scoffed. “Bunch of idiotic fools who want to see this country driven to the ground.” A smile danced on Vainia’s face. Her grandmother held much the same ideals she did, but with none of the power. Nolterya was the one who put Vainia’s mind to the idea that she had to change things, years and years ago. She dared not tell even her about her self-exile four years ago, though; everyone knew the two were close, and the Savage Queen would be the first person interrogated on her disappearance. Vague guilt tugged on her heart. “I apologize, grandmother. For… the way I left.” It had been sudden and done in the night, the day before she was to interview a potential arranged husband. "Don't worry about it, child. I knew I would see you again. That boy you left hanging, though, oh his face was priceless!” Her grandmother croaked with amusement again. “Have you met anyone else? Another man with whom you can produce an heir?” “Er… No, unfortunately not,” Vainia said awkwardly. She had never gone through the normal process of infatuation with boys, though she acutely watched Asearya go through such a change. Marriage and sex, to her, were simply constructs used to produce secure heirs to her own throne. It wasn’t a priority if she didn’t even have a throne yet. “Don’t let it get to you. It might happen, it might not. You don’t need a man to complete you or make your mark.” The matriarch coughed. “You’re too smart a girl to get bewitched by muscles either… But if you do find someone, make sure he’s worthy.” “Hah, as you wish! I’ll be sure to bring him to you for approval.” “That would mean you find a suitor quickly, child.” Vainia looked at the former queen with concern. For once, her grandmother’s face was not ferocious, or determined, or even spiteful. She looked… resigned. “Don’t look at me like that. We all have to fade one day.” “Grandmother, what… what are you saying?” “Keep your panties untwisted, Vainia. I’m not sick or anything. But my end is coming. I know it.” “I… No. I will stay here, and defend you from anything, grandmother.” “You won’t. You’re leaving soon. I know you are.” Vainia was silent at this. “I can see it in your eyes, child. I had the same feeling when I was young. That boiling in your womb, the need to fix this blasted world!” She let out another hearty laugh from beneath her pale and freckled chest. “Back then, I would have just stabbed a sword in the neck of any of my enemies, and that would be the end of it. Now… well, times have changed.” She let out a tired sigh after her burst, and when Vainia looked up at her grandmother, she thought just how old she must have been. The history books stated that the Savage Queen ruled from 2877 to 2944 KE before she relinquished her rule. Nolterya had been a small child when she took the throne, but it was now 2977 KE; her ascension was still an entire century ago. Vainia’s idol had aged heavily since the last time she saw her. She was fragile – finite. Vainia was frightened. She stood and held her grandmother’s hands. “Please, grandmother. Don’t go. You can’t go until I change the world. At least until I fix Mortis.” Nolterya smiled. “Your time will come, child, but it will take some waiting. You’re off to a good start, though! I’ve seen it.” Vainia looked in her grandmother’s eyes, and realized for the first time the milky film over it. “Grandmother… You’ve gone blind.” Horror left Vainia’s mouth open. “Oh, these things happen. How do you think I’ve seen everything you’ve been doing? Trust me, I haven’t seen such a fluid takeover of a city in a long, long time. You remind me of my father so, so much. Oh, he was so gallant, so brave! And the way you hold your sword is just like him sometimes, I swear it. You were named after him, did you know that? Your father never bothered to learn, but I knew. You are Nolstuvainia VIII. Nolstuvainia So’octio. You were born a king, child.” Vainia was speechless. “I… Grandmother, I’m honored…” “Haha! Don’t worry, child, I’m not going to sit here and die on you. I’ll see you at the feast tonight. You’d best be going now, to get ready for it. Don’t let me hold you up.” The princess stepped away reluctantly. “I very much enjoyed seeing you again, grandmother. I won’t disappoint you.” “I know you won’t, child. I knew that the first time I heard your ferocious crying when you came out of your witch of a mother.” The Savage Queen’s mouth was still as cutting and honest as ever. “Before you go, I have some words for you. A… prediction.” Vainia paused near the door. “Yes, grandmother? Have you seen something I should know?” “First off, memorize your incantations. They are much stronger that way.” Vainia’s eyes widened, but Nolterya left her no time to get a word in edgewise. “Second, no matter what anyone says, you can always trust your Knight in Red. But never the Cardinal. Never trust the Knight in Cardinal. Finally… Continue to defy causality, child. And when the sky falls and rises and the pillar may tremble… You must stay here, on the ground. Do not ascend.” Once again, Vainia was speechless. The queen looked at her with crossed arms and nodded at the doorway. Without any other words to say, Vainia turned away from her grandmother with a nod and left back towards her Tower of Isolation. ***** She sat flanked by Tasshon and Asearya, and across from her were Prince Magnus, Tlerius Rin and Azur Atrai. The feast was monotonous to Vainia, as was the music being played for ambiance in the large dining hall of the palace. The king loved to throw a good feast, so the huge dining hall was the most well-kept hall in the palace. Its brilliant gold paint was freshly renewed every two years; the paintings and tapestries hanging on almost every inch of the walls not occupied by tall stained glass windows were known the world over as classics. The king loved to show off his wealth and culture, even when it didn’t exist. “You know, you’re a lot quieter than I remember. And you don’t smile as often, either.” Prince Magnus Lee looked at Vainia from atop his wine glass being led to his mouth. “Time ages a person,” Vainia replied somberly. “Seeing the things I’ve seen is even more efficient with this matter.” “I think you’re just lonely. Probably didn’t find any handsome men over in Inusia, did you?” The prince rose one of his arched eyebrows and smiled with his teeth. “My father once told me that arrogance in a woman is her attempt at being noble and hard to get. You don’t have to play at being noble, my lady. It comes quite naturally to those of our blood.” Vainia tilted her head and flared her nostrils as she looked down at her plate. “Those are… interesting ideals you have, Prince Lee. But are you really qualified to call yourself of noble blood…?” “How silly of me, to call myself royal and I cannot even speak the royal language! Oh you simply must give me lessons in Refined High sometimes, Princess Vainia!” The blond prince swayed slightly in his seat as he took another sip from his glass of wine, and when he put it down he looked at Vainia from beneath heavy lidded eyes. “Tell me, will my ascension make you my sister? Younger or elder? Would it still be ill for us to marry?” “Watch yourself, sir,” Asearya growled. She sat on Vainia’s right. For the feast she had changed out of her maid outfit for a slim and proper outfit, although it was still of the same monochromatic color scheme. “No, no, let the reikravn say what he likes and enjoy his meal.” Despite calling the Prince an infidel in Refined High, an insult of which little is harsher, Vainia smiled at the prince and raised her glass to him with a toast. Unlike him, she did not drink wine, merely water. “He will be the king one day, after all.” “Lady Vainia!” Asearya looked to her best friend with worried eyes. She understood Refined High after years of hearing Vainia learn it. “Your tongue…” “Is expending all of its energy singing praises of the gallant and charming new prince, instead of enjoying this wonderful feast laid out before me. Of course, Asearya, you are speaking of my best interests, as always.” Vainia said nothing else and began to eat with a peaceful smile. Asearya, Tasshon, and Tlerius looked on her with fear. They all knew that this was a delicate and stressful time for the young princess, and her joy was simply a façade. Or had she truly broken? Azur Atrai took a long sip of his wine. He was taking the alcohol much better than the prince was. “What’s everyone so spooked for? The Queen says we enjoy her feast, so we enjoy her feast. Nothing else to it. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get back to our country and regroup with the others.” Vainia nodded at her Eternal Corps member with a smile, and the others began to reluctantly eat after his insistence. “So, Lady Vainia, when are we returning to Shorekeep?” Tasshon asked. He was still wearing his battle damaged Baron uniform, although he had left the tattered red cloak in his room. “Shall we be staying here for long? Will we be calling the Barons here before then?” He ate scarcely, instead taking sips of his own water glass and looking over the vast hall. Every seat in the room was filled; Vainia’s table was far, far in the back of the hall, far enough away for him to see easily across the entire hall and to the head of it, where the king and queen sat together. The prince had chosen to eat with Vainia, for the two to acquaint each other. Vainia replied to her Baron’s inquisition after a moment of thought. “I’m not sure yet.” She took a contemplative sip of water. “I have to revise my plans for the future. I’d rather we head back as soon as possible, but… That may not be safe.” Her false enjoyment of the evening vanished quickly in thought of her army’s next move. Another attack on Inusia in the near future was out of the question; her Barons were right in warning her of one in the first place, let alone a second. She longed for information from the mainland of Shorica; was it safe from Inusian attack? Had her rule collapsed without her or Taoris there to keep it stable? Tlerius studied his queen with his hard, beady eyes. He had not shaved and his black beard was longer than ever, though he had trimmed the grey mane atop his head. Like Azur, he had chosen to wear his silver cloak to the feast. “You needn’t worry, Lady Vainia. There are still three Eternal Corps members in Shorekeep; the city is as safe as it could be.” The princess stayed silent in thought. Asearya pointed her fork at Tlerius and spoke in Vainia’ place. “Is that what you all are called, the Eternal Corps? Interesting name. Wasn’t there another of you floating around here, somewhere?” “Indeed,” Tlerius answered. “Hrevi Charicus is here as well, although I had her food brought to her chambers. She was badly wounded in the battle. A brave fighter, that one is.” “I see. That’s tragic and all, but I have a question.” Asearya patted at her mouth properly with a napkin. “Don’t you all get hot, sitting around in those long gray mantles? Especially with that fur there. Mortis doesn’t get that cold, you know.” Tlerius pursed his lips together, and the prince found himself holding in a laugh. “We of the Eternal Corps are contracted to always wear our colors, whether we are comfortable or not,” the Leader of the Corps said with a low voice. “And its silver. Not gray.” The people sitting around Vainia continued to mingle, and she continued to pick over her food. Course after course came, and slowly the people of various ethnicities and origins began to mesh together without issue – the prince notwithstanding, of course. His very presence irritated her, but she couldn’t help but feel some sort of pride at the state of the feast. These people were united, Asearya and Tasshon and Tlerius and Azur and most other people in the hall, due to their love and loyalty of her. Nolstuvainia Sestrum… the Eighth. So’octio. The fact that she had a title now… a history from which she could derive her name, this fact gave her hope. The people around her gave her hope. The fact that she was still alive gave her hope. She couldn’t give up here, not after one defeat. Vainia knew that, though her pride was making it difficult to admit that she had failed. The war wasn’t over yet, and it wouldn’t end until she had accomplished her goal or she had died, and Vainia wasn’t going to let herself die just yet. Asearya’s voice brought her back to reality when Vainia realized her maid’s words were directed at her. “It wouldn’t be too much trouble, would it, my lady? If I went with you when you left?” Vainia looked at her maid with open lips. Originally she had left Asearya behind because she had to go alone, in secret; but now, nothing was holding her back and limiting her options. “I don’t see why not. You’re capable and loyal, which means I can make great use of you, dear friend.” “Oh, I’m so happy!” Her cheeks were rosy with heat; Asearya had been drinking, as well. “I heard so much about your campaigns. They were so dangerous, I worried about your health and your safety so much! Not to mention your sleeping habits! You haven’t been sleeping, have you? I can see it in the bags under your eyes, my lady.” The princess looked away with a slight blush of her own, but the new prince took this opportunity to butt himself in. By now he was hopelessly drunk, and his words were slurred almost beyond recognition. “She’s still so beautiful! I can’t wait to have her as my wife, and we will make dozens of kingly children!” All of the people sitting near looked at him with a glare, but the prince was blind to their distaste. Vainia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “How long is this feast? I don’t want to be at another one of these again for the rest of my life. And I have plans to work out.” “I believe the king said… Nineteen courses?” Tasshon looked down at his plate with disgust. This was the fifth course so far. “And there is another planned a week from now,” the prince stated with joy. “So you absolutely cannot leave until then, Princess Vainia!” The drunken prince stood up and laughed before stumbling over to the table in the head of the room with the king, the queen, and the former queen. The princess, now alone with her confidants and soldiers, sighed and dropped her fork on her plate. “I’ve lost my appetite,” she said with finality as she stood up. Both Tasshon and Asearya moved to follow, but Vainia waved them off. “I’m just going for a walk. The air in here is… stuffy.” She left the hall without another word. During the feast the sun had set, and now the air was still and as dark as coal. There were very few soldiers posted around the castle as guard, so Vainia was able to walk without many eyes looking over her. As soon as she stepped outside, the light of an airship coming to the city broke the fragile darkness. She took a deep breath and started to walk around the pallid grounds of the palace. It was much easier to breathe here in Mortis, without the cold of northern Inusia or the smell of fish in Shorica. There were many places she had been to and many places she still had yet to visit, but Mortis would always be her home. It pained her to see it in such a sorry state. The words of her grandmother echoed through her mind, followed by voices of her trusted advisors and friends. Her head was hurting for sure now, and Vainia rubbed her temples with a sigh. The situation felt like it was spiraling out of her control. How would the people of Shorekeep feel about her failure? The other Eternal Corps would likely lose morale at knowing two of their members died in battle, not to mention the thousands of soldiers that had been killed at Icarun. It was, by all intents and purposes, a disaster. For now, she figured, her best bet would be to return to Shorica as soon as possible and stabilize her rule. Further large-scale attacks would only come with more alliances, and more secure ones as well. Alliances – that reminded her of Icarun and Nneoh’s betrayal. Perhaps a good option would be to strike back against Nneoh? No, Vainia thought as she shook her head, that would be spreading her forces too thin. She had to focus on Inusia. Maybe she needed to recruit more soldiers… Or stabilize and fortify her rule in Shorica? It was disappointing that she would receive no aid from Mortis, but Vainia figured she could perhaps manipulate her father into changing this opinion. He had a soft spot for her when she did what he wanted, and it was probably her parent’s love for her that kept her alive now in Mortis. Although they did not see eye to eye, she hoped they wouldn’t be punished by Inusia for harboring her… This entire situation irritated Vainia. Why did the world have to be like this? Why did everything have to be so difficult? For the first time in a long while, Vainia felt like she was crawling up a steep slope to her dreams, and it was all so unfair. If only she had a hundred thousand more men, and millions more dolarov to budget for war, and allies strong and steadfast across the globe. If only she had Taoris… A commotion took hold of her attention, and the princess was dragged out of her reverie. The noise sounded like men raising their voice, and it came from the gates to the palace. Vainia looked back to the dining hall, lit and trailing with sound of music and jolly eating. There were no men coming from there to investigate… yet. She had no weapons on her person, but Vainia started walking towards the nearby front gates without fear. An instinct was telling her to get to the source of the disturbance, and fast. She walked briskly, and started reciting a runic spell that summoned ethereal chains silently. Her fingers began to glow with magic energy. There, at the gates, stood two soldiers with spears raised. In front of them stood a tall and muscular man with his head lowered and his arms crossed. A dark cloth wrapped all around him, but it was dirty and its color indistinguishable in the night. The two guards were telling him to back away, to move back to the streets where he belonged, and Vainia could hear the man growling quietly in response. A fight would break out within seconds, she was sure of it. Right as the tall man opened his arms and reached to the sword scabbards behind his back, he looked up with strong icy blue eyes, and met her gaze. His arms stopped, and his aggression instantly vanished. “My Queen!” ...End of Part Thirty-Nine. <- Previous Page | Main Page | Next Page ->